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Established in 1999, the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research collaborates with community partners, academic faculty and student researchers to deliver research and service learning initiatives. Through our Community-Based Education program, we partner local organizations with academic institutions to address important research questions and build organizational capacity. This collaboration results in lasting relationships and tangible benefits that enhance the social, cultural, environmental and economic sectors of Haliburton County.
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We aim to assist community organizations, businesses, and municipalities by providing practical information to support development in Haliburton County. We also offer students valuable opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills through community-based research and service learning projects. Additionally, we create pathways for the community to share insights and inform universities and colleges about local issues and developmental needs.
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The Community-Based Education Program offers local organizations an opportunity to tap into the resources
of post-secondary institutions by linking community needs with capable and civic-minded students. These projects are completed for course credit under faculty supervision, with support from U-Links and guidance from the host organization. There are two project streams: Community-Based Research and Community Service Learning.
Community-Based Research is the collection, organization, and analysis of information to answer a question that is of interest to members of the community. These projects typically involve 1-4 students over a period of 4-8 months. The research project could be of a scientific, historic, cultural, social, economic, or environmental nature. A partnership with U-Links would include Research Support. U-Links can help define the scope of a research project, provide advice and resources about what methods to choose (i.e. surveys, focus groups, interviews, etc.), assist in getting results back out in the community, or simply help you brainstorm ideas!
Community Service Learning is a form of experiential education that aims to achieve immediate outcomes for the community, while facilitating student learning. Projects are practical in nature and increase an organization’s capacity to achieve a targeted goal (e.g. completing an event, survey, or activity). This is a great option for organizations looking for a shorter engagement (10-25 hours) and a larger number of students.
All completed reports are archived and searchable at the following resources:
Haliburton County Library Website
https://olco.ent.sirsidynix.net/client/en_US/haliburton/
U-Links Research Database
https://database.ulinks.ca/.
Additional Services
For long-term projects, U-Links offers a range of project management services including
-Grant Writing & Project Planning
-Community Networking Support
-Facilitating Meetings
-Overseeing Research
-Data Analysis
-Community Presentations
-Report Writing
